The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1887-03-04
The Kiss of a Sea Gull.

Providence Journal.
In the shipping news Of Friday
morning, in this paper, was the
announcement of the death of Sea-
man JlcomO Trabocchia, OF the
[ Austrian bark Ukraine, Capt. Mir
covich, by falling from the foretop-
gallantSailyard when the bark was
about 450 miles off the shore of
Sonth Carolina. The bark came to
this port from Italy with salt con.
signed TO Stephen ID. Andrews.
THERE'S a weird tale told in regard
TO the young sailors death -be
was but % years old-by the sail
ors of the Unkraine. ALI OF them,
from captain down, are rugged,
practical men, and yet this voyage
forced many OF them to partial
belief in Omens aud the weird in
life and death. The story must be
taken as true, however much read
ers of it are diSinclined toward the
superstitous, aud even il 1t has had
resemblances IN sea life. 1t was
] iuSl HClOlC II OOiOCh OH tue uOtu-
ing of Saturday, Dec. IL, and, as
had been said, the bark was far off
the South Carolina shore. Tara.
bOcchia was at the wheel. The
weather was clear and quite Geld.
and it was still in the darker hours
Of the night. Strangely enough, at
this time, there appeared over the
bark a sea gull, and it fiuttered
and settled slowly downward.
1t flew toward the sailor at the
helm, and at last lighted upon his
shoulders, struggling hard to Oh.
tain a foothold there. The sailor
reached up and took the bird in
his hands. 1t was a full-hedged
sea gull, as white as snow. While
he looked at it thus it stretched out
its taper neck aud pressed its beak
up TO his lips rs if billing with its
mate. The sailor cHressed it, and
finally put it into the bosom of his
blouse. 1t lay still there, tue
warmth OF the spot apparently lull.
ing to quiet. When eight bells
struck at 4 O'clock, TaraboccIiia
was relieved. Going forward to
the forecastle he clipped the gulPs
wings, and then weut below. The
bird nestled by him in his berth
until it was time to rise again.
That day the gull played about
the deck, and acted as fully domes-
ticated as chicken. In the after
noon the bark cat and the gull
quaireled, and the quarrel closed
in a terrific battle. The resulted
in both suffering severe injuries,
the cat the worst of the two. Tar
Iboccbia laughed at them both.
He said to the cat as if it could
"You're never going to get we'll.
You're hurt bad.h Aud he told the
gull that it too would die he guess
I'd.
That night at IL O'Clock precisely
he bark was far of tue chesapeake
'hOre. 1t was just at the edge of
he Gulf Stream. Suddenly
quail came up to the westward,
md the order was given to furl
ails. Tarabocchia went up and
vas at work on the fOretOpgallaHt-
ailyard. when the bark lurched
leavily. He vas about 13S feet
bove the deck. The accident
atalt0 him-HOw happened. Some
low he fell, and his body, whirling
hrough the air, struck the rail
leavIly, aud then slid of into the
ea. 1t sank Immediately, and Was
lOt seen afterward, though every
fort TO find it WAS made.
As has been said, this took place
lace af IL O'Clock exactly. At ~
CLOCK the injured cat quietly died,
s il lay on the vanished sailors
hest in the cabin. Just one hoar
,ter, at 1 o'clock, the sea gull died.
t had taken to TarabOcchIa's berth
lat evening, and tue sailors
atchcd the end with strange feel
lgs, for from the first the actions
the white bird had seemed Omi-
Gus to the bark.